Hormone Therapy for ER Positive Breast Cancer: 136 Real Stories

Breast Cancer Recurrence Treated With Radiation Despite a Chronic Skin Condition

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative

After treatment of a chest-wall recurrence and a radiographically suspicious ischial lesion, she completed chest-wall radiation, her skin healed within 5 weeks, and she remained under surgical, radiation-oncology, and dermatology review.

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Occult lobular breast cancer first discovered through colon metastases

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+ | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative; E-cadherin-negative

Metastatic Site: colon

Her tumour marker decreased during letrozole and palbociclib treatment, but recurrent infections interrupted therapy, and she died from urosepsis 2 years after diagnosis.

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Male breast cancer found after persistent nipple discharge without a lump

Patient Info: Anonymized, Male, 60s | Stage 0

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive

Six months after mastectomy, surveillance examination found no clinical evidence of recurrence.

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A New Breast Cancer Arising Beneath an Accessory Nipple

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

Biomarkers: ER 5%; PR 5–10%; HER2-negative.

After chemotherapy, surgery, endocrine therapy, proton radiation, and later reconstruction revision, she was currently without evidence of disease.

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Recurrent Breast Cancer With a Benign-Appearing Chest-Wall Rash

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Initial tumor: ER-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative.

Metastatic Site: mediastinal lymph nodes

She had recurrent chest-wall and mediastinal metastatic disease; a later rash biopsy showed dermatitis rather than another skin recurrence.

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Young woman with ductal breast cancer and bleeding gastric metastases

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-negative; HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: pancreas|liver|kidney|stomach

After rapid progression to the pancreas, liver, kidney and stomach, she chose palliative care and died 1 month after presenting with gastrointestinal bleeding.

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Lobular breast cancer later spread to the stomach, bone, neck and mediastinum

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+ | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: stomach|bone|neck|mediastinum

After gastric metastasis was diagnosed and later imaging showed bone, neck and mediastinal spread, her oral intake and health declined; she chose palliative care and died 7 months after the diagnostic endoscopy.

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Stage II HR-Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma: Caitlin's Patient Story

Patient Info: Caitlin J., Female, Under 40 | Stage II

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; BRCA-negative

As of July 2020, Caitlin had completed lumpectomy, AC chemotherapy, Taxol, and 33 radiation treatments for Stage IIB ER-positive, PR-positive IDC and was continuing monthly Lupron plus daily anastrozole.

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Lobular Breast Cancer Spread Into a Nasal Tumor

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Metastatic lobular focus: ER 8/8; PR 8/8; HER2-negative; E-cadherin-negative.

Metastatic Site: liver; bone; right nasal cavity within an olfactory…

The nasal lesion was removed with no residual local disease on imaging, and capecitabine was restarted while oncology follow-up continued for metastatic breast cancer.

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Occult breast cancer found in the axillary lymph nodes during diagnosis of four cancers

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: ER 90% positive; HER2 overexpression; CK19-positive; mammaglobin-positive.

Almost four years after the synchronous cancer diagnoses, she was alive without recurrence and continued letrozole and oncology follow-up.

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Stage IV Breast Cancer: Kirby's Patient Story

Patient Info: Kirby Lewis, Male | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative

Metastatic Site: lung|spine

Kirby was living with metastatic breast cancer, and his most recent scans showed the right-lung tumor was stable with no signs of progression while he continued fulvestrant and palbociclib.

A second breast cancer arising in a previously known cyst

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+

Biomarkers: ER >95% positive; PR >95% positive; HER2 negative; Ki-67 11–50%; p53 negative for overexpression

She completed right-breast radiation and was continuing anastrozole 1 mg daily as adjuvant endocrine therapy.

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Early breast cancer followed 19 years later by a radiation-related breast sarcoma

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+ | Stage I

Biomarkers: Strongly ER-positive; strongly PR-positive.

The stage IA breast carcinoma remained disease-free for 19 years; a later right-breast mass was a separate radiation-induced sarcoma rather than recurrent carcinoma.

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Metastatic ER-positive breast cancer complicated by osteonecrosis of the jaw

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 70+ | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-positive.

Metastatic Site: bone (sternum, spine, pelvis, and proximal femur)

After progressive metastatic bone disease and severe medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw, she entered end-of-life care and died three weeks after discharge to a nursing home.

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Breast Cancer Recurrence in the Liver Mimicking Cirrhosis

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Original cancer: HER2-negative and PR-positive. Liver recurrence: ER-positive.

Metastatic Site: liver

The breast cancer recurred in the liver after 14 years, produced pseudocirrhosis and portal-hypertension complications, and she died from hepatorenal syndrome five weeks after presentation.

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Breast Cancer Recurrence in the Parotid Gland Eight Years Later

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 50s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Primary breast tumor: ER-positive and HER2-positive. Parotid metastasis: ER-positive, PR-negative, and HER2-positive.

Metastatic Site: left parotid gland

The isolated parotid metastasis was completely resected, one-month PET-CT showed no significant abnormality, and endocrine therapy continued with exemestane.

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Metastatic Breast Cancer Presenting With Severe Pulmonary Hypertension

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, Under 40 | Stage IV

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive.

Metastatic Site: bone; bone marrow

At seven months, she was doing well with a marked response on PET imaging, normalized right-heart pressures, and ongoing systemic treatment with palbociclib.

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Breast Cancer Arising in Ectopic Tissue in the Armpit

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s

Biomarkers: ER positive; PR positive; HER2 negative

A 43-year-old woman’s presumed axillary cyst proved to be hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer arising in ectopic breast tissue.

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Stage II HR-Positive Breast Cancer: Cath's Survivor Story

Patient Info: Cath, Female, 60s | Stage II

Biomarkers: ER-positive; PR-positive; HER2-negative

Cath was declared cancer-free in June 2024 after Stage II luminal A ER-positive/PR-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer treated with surgery, radiation, and hormone therapy, though she continued to manage long-term side effects and recurrence fear.

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Splenectomy Reduced Transfusion Needs in Metastatic Lobular Breast Cancer

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: ER positive; PR positive; HER2 negative

Metastatic Site: skin|bone|bone marrow|spleen

She remained independent through her last oncology visit 18 months after splenectomy and died 1 month later.

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Lobular Breast Cancer Spreading to an Eye Muscle

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 40s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: Hormone receptor-positive; HER2-negative; E-cadherin-negative; CK7-positive

Metastatic Site: bones|left superior oblique eye muscle

The eye-muscle metastasis entered complete local remission, while bone disease was stable after 6 months of weekly paclitaxel and denosumab.

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Recurrent Breast Cancer Initially Mistaken for Organising Pneumonia

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s | Stage Metastatic/Advanced

Biomarkers: ER-positive and GATA3-positive atypical pleural-fluid cells

Metastatic Site: lungs

After 12 months of first-line hormone therapy for metastatic recurrence, she had significant clinical and radiological improvement and remained on treatment.

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Breast cancer recurrence involving the bladder and bones

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Initial breast cancer: ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative. Bladder metastasis: ER-positive, PR-negative, HER2 1+.

Metastatic Site: bladder, bone, rectosigmoid region, anorectal region

She died in October 2016 from pulmonary haemorrhage, 47 months after metastatic disease was diagnosed.

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Breast cancer spreading to the colon, rectum and peritoneal surfaces

Patient Info: Anonymized, Female, 60s | Stage IV

Biomarkers: Primary tumor: ER >80% positive; PR 50–60% positive; HER2 negative; E-cadherin positive. Later colorectal metastases: ER positive; PR negative; HER2 negative; CK7 positive; CK20 negative; CDX2 negative.

Metastatic Site: colon, rectum, peritoneum, diaphragm, liver, bowel,…

Metastatic breast cancer was subsequently confirmed in the colon and rectum, with later laparoscopic biopsies showing peritoneal and additional intra-abdominal metastatic disease.

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